FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, GERMANY (Oct. 18, 10 a.m. ET) — DuPont Co. has used the Fakuma trade event to highlight two high-performance applications it hopes will appeal to the automotive sector.

The materials group worked with injection blow molding equipment specialist Ossberger to produce the 'jounce bumper' component, which forms part of a vehicle's shock absorber system.

Made from DuPont's Hytrel thermoplastic elastomer, the component has been tested by a number of car makers over rough terrain for thousands of kilometres.

Independent tests said the part allows better steering feedback and improved roadhandling "compared to polyurethane parts."

Patrick Cuzac, DuPont's automotive director Europe, said: "The jounce bumper is an example of DuPont listening to market needs and developing a superior solution, while providing all the necessary collaborative support needed to bring an idea from design to commercialization."

DuPont declined to reveal which car makers might take up the technology, although a spokesman said it had ascertained a demand for the part and it could see its way into a range of models next year.

The group also revealed an expanded portfolio of its Zytel long-chain polyamides, with new grades that delivered flexibility and salt stress cracking resistance similar to PA11 and PA12.

The resulting polyamides offer "functional attributes that make them suitable for use into automotive and commercial vehicle applications, including fuel and air brake lines, typically the domain of [nylon] PA12", the group said in a statement.